NVGD

I was expecting this tomorrow, came yesterday!
Got lucky on the bay sunday. Offered 20% less and he said yes.
1981 F-100, Series I. (was advertised as 1980)
body: Jan 21, 1981
neck: Oct 08, 1981
mahogany body, advertised transparent red finish
rosewood board, 12 in radius
strings through body with saddle lock bridge.
passive electronics. original hard shell case, in good shape.

required a bit of set-up, pups too high, bridge saddles too low, neck with a bit of back bow.
only took a little more than an hour to set/string it up.
sounds like everything works. still fooling around with electronic options/switches. interesting possibilities.
string alignment is perfect. nice resonance. sounds nice. haven't played it through good amps yet.
minimal fret wear. minimal anything wear. i've bought guitars that were a few years old that have more dings and signs of wear than this, definitely case kept, excellent condition, a real beauty. Moderate bridge and knob corrosion.
what a cool guitar! Pretty early model. CLF might have even handled this one, who knows.
Amazing how close the F-100 is to the Music Man Sabre. Some pics (from seller)...will post tomorrow, photobucket down for "maintenance" (putting in more ads, no doubt...). got some playin to do. maybe a little sleep.

Last edited by john o on Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Congrats John,
Looking forward to pics and more impressions,
(I think the F is for Fun)

Was that Brian's guitar from Wisconsin?

y2kc

Hey John,

Great for you!

I recall seeing that one, glad it stayed in the G&L "family". As always, post pics and put in the registry.

Amazing how close the F-100 is to the Music Man Sabre.

Congrats John!

Fun fact: the Sabre was also a jet fighter from the late-'50s with model name F-86. The nickname of the F-100 jet fighter in the Century series is Super Sabre. 'Nuff said.

- Jos

Welcome to the F-100 club. Very nice guitar, been watching it as well. I just bought another one that will be here next week. They are killer guitars and you may be right, Leo may well have had his hands on this as it's an early one.

It's this one correct?


I just pinched a pic from the sight but do please take some better shots when you can. It looks like it has some cool waves of color in the fretboard but can't see the whole thing in the other pics.

Congrats and enjoy exploring all the different tones and sounds that instrument can deliver. It looks real clean too, great score!!

Tom

Welcome to the F-100 club. Very nice guitar, been watching it as well. I just bought another one that will be here next week. They are killer guitars and you may be right, Leo may well have had his hands on this as it's an early one.

It's this one correct?


I just pinched a pic from the sight but do please take some better shots when you can. It looks like it has some cool waves of color in the fretboard but can't see the whole thing in the other pics.

Congrats and enjoy exploring all the different tones and sounds that instrument can deliver. It looks real clean too, great score!!

Tom

Yup, that's the one!.
Looks like photobucket is still down for maintenance. Try again tomorrow.
Your F-100 looks brand new, was that vault kept or what? Love the red!
It is a unique instrument, very comfortable. Lots of different tonal options, like Elwood said, FUN!

Amazing how close the F-100 is to the Music Man Sabre.

Congrats John!

Fun fact: the Sabre was also a jet fighter from the late-'50s with model name F-86. The nickname of the F-100 jet fighter in the Century series is Super Sabre. 'Nuff said.

- Jos

Thx, Jos! from super sabres to asats - conquering the stratosphere!

Hey John,

Great for you!

I recall seeing that one, glad it stayed in the G&L "family". As always, post pics and put in the registry.

Thx Sam! looks like Craig beat me to the registry, i presume he saw the ebay listing and added it.
I will take some deck photos and post them this week, actually have a day off. the color of the nitro finish has some browns in it as well as the reds, nice to see!

Was that Brian's guitar from Wisconsin?

y2kc

It was Bizarre guitars, Madison, Wisconson. Sounds right!
He has over 200 items for sale, several vintage guitars, including a late '50's LP custom for $$$!

Congrats John,
Looking forward to pics and more impressions,
(I think the F is for Fun)

Thx, Elwood. Agree, re: the FUN factor. I believe you have one or two F-100's in the que, from previous posts.
Do you have favorite settings, between the pickup selector, coil splitter and phase switches?

[Craig]

Hey John,

Great for you!

I recall seeing that one, glad it stayed in the G&L "family". As always, post pics and put in the registry.

Thx Sam! looks like Craig beat me to the registry, i presume he saw the ebay listing and added it.
I will take some deck photos and post them this week, actually have a day off. the color of the nitro finish has some browns in it as well as the reds, nice to see!

Actually someone else had registered it but listed the body color as Translucent Cherry instead of Clear Red, so I edited it. Translucent Cherry was the finish on the 1998 Custom Creations ASAT Junior and
later on the ASAT Classic "Blues Boy" Special Build.

Congrats on a splendid find!

Last edited by Craig on Sun Nov 06, 2016 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: correction: ASAT HB Special build changed to ASAT Classic "Blues Boy" Special Build

I picked up a awesome Rampage from Brian many years ago. I drove to his home up in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin from the balmy comfort of Chicago and it was well worth it.

The guitar you got from him is a beauty.

y2kc

Congratulations! Welcome to the F-100 club. Looks like you found a nice one. Here is my vintage F-100 collection. I also have a 30th Anniversary Edition F-100.

Hey John,

Great for you!

I recall seeing that one, glad it stayed in the G&L "family". As always, post pics and put in the registry.

Thx Sam! looks like Craig beat me to the registry, i presume he saw the ebay listing and added it.
I will take some deck photos and post them this week, actually have a day off. the color of the nitro finish has some browns in it as well as the reds, nice to see!

Actually someone else had registered it but listed the body color as Translucent Cherry instead of Clear Red, so I edited it. Translucent Cherry was the finish on the 1998 Custom Creations ASAT Junior and
later on the ASAT HB Special Build.

Congrats on a splendid find!

The actual production name for the color on the ASAT HB Special Build is Caramel. I have two of them and they look great!! But not TC.

DR. My F-100 is in quite good condition, a small amount of finish checking from the screws in the back. Saw it for sale for months and on a whim made an offer and it was accepted. HOWEVER, not near as nice as Challengers F-100s. It kills me when he posts those pics, they're such wonderful shiny things!!

Tom

Is this more like Clear Red?



And heres the Caramel from the ASAT HB



See what you think, not sure what the color on the OP F-100 is.

Tom

Here are the pics the seller sent me. I'll take some of my own this week. The finish has some reds and browns in it, depends on the light in the room.

I picked up a awesome Rampage from Brian many years ago. I drove to his home up in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin from the balmy comfort of Chicago and it was well worth it.

The guitar you got from him is a beauty.

y2kc

Thx Y2KC, it is in remarkably good shape!
My Dad used to live near Waupaca, Wi. I drove there once from Minneapolis. It's definitely God's country!

Congratulations! Welcome to the F-100 club. Looks like you found a nice one. Here is my vintage F-100 collection. I also have a 30th Anniversary Edition F-100.

That is an amazing trinity you have there, Challenger!
They look flawless/recently crafted. I bet they all sound a little different, though.

Hey John,

Great for you!

I recall seeing that one, glad it stayed in the G&L "family". As always, post pics and put in the registry.

Thx Sam! looks like Craig beat me to the registry, i presume he saw the ebay listing and added it.
I will take some deck photos and post them this week, actually have a day off. the color of the nitro finish has some browns in it as well as the reds, nice to see!

Actually someone else had registered it but listed the body color as Translucent Cherry instead of Clear Red, so I edited it. Translucent Cherry was the finish on the 1998 Custom Creations ASAT Junior and
later on the ASAT HB Special Build.

Congrats on a splendid find!

The actual production name for the color on the ASAT HB Special Build is Caramel. I have two of them and they look great!! But not TC.

DR. My F-100 is in quite good condition, a small amount of finish checking from the screws in the back. Saw it for sale for months and on a whim made an offer and it was accepted. HOWEVER, not near as nice as Challengers F-100s. It kills me when he posts those pics, they're such wonderful shiny things!!

Tom

Agree, Tom. Those 3 are amazingly well preserved, he must be in the southwest. East coast air isn't kind to metals and paint jobs over the decades.

Is this more like Clear Red?



And heres the Caramel from the ASAT HB



See what you think, not sure what the color on the OP F-100 is.

Tom

The caramel finish looks alot closer to what I have. Nice finish! A little less red than my cherry SG Classic

Yes, all three of mine sound slightly different. Here is the story on them.

The Candy Apple Red is from October of 1980. I am the fourth owner. I live in Iowa and drove to Ohio to get that one along with a mint SC-3 that I won on EBay. Gabe was the second owner and entered it in the registry as having a maple body. I've never had the neck off to check for myself, but if it is maple instead of poplar, it would be quite rare. Gabe knows G&L's, so I'm trusting his judgement. It does have a few nicks in the finish that show when photographed closer. There is no crazing marks in the nitro finish, however. It has been well cared for and must not have been exposed to temperature changes. Hence my reason for driving 8 hours each way and not trusting UPS with it in January.

The green one has a body date of 1981 and neck date of February of 1983. Repair was written in the neck pocket of the body, so the neck may have been replaced under warranty or the body refinished to sell as a 1983. It has the hex adjustments in the pickups instead of the slots, which I've only seen on the later F-100's. It has the bi-cut neck and G&L branded Schaller tuners. I bought it on EBay from a seller in Florida. It had been sitting in the case so long that the nitro finish on the back of the neck reacted with the case where it was cradled. I was able to have a local luthier buff it out and not have to spray any touch up. There are a few touch ups in the finish, but the chrome is immaculate.

The clear blue was sold to me as a 1983. It has the most flaws of the three, but still in great shape. There are some more noticeable dings, couple areas with crazing marks, and a little bit of oxidatation to the hardware, particularly where the tremelo arm pops in. Yes, I have the original tremelo arm (not Gabe's close reproduction), warranty card, and case with keys. It has the same case as my Cavalier from 1983. Being a later production F-100, it has the black control plate on the front. It also has the hex adjustments in the pickups and bi-cut neck with updated G&L branded tuners. The serial number is on the neck plate instead of the bridge. The blue one has the best overall sound of the three, in my opinion. I found it a few years ago on EBay with a very reasonable buy it now price. It was probably only listed for about 30 minutes when I saw it and fell in love with it and bought it.

Chip

Here are the pics the seller sent me. I'll take some of my own this week. The finish has some reds and browns in it, depends on the light in the room.

It's Natural Gloss. That's how it looked over the mahogany they used in the early '80s. Congrats on the F-100!

Ken

Here are the pics the seller sent me. I'll take some of my own this week. The finish has some reds and browns in it, depends on the light in the room.

It's Natural Gloss. That's how it looked over the mahogany they used in the early '80s. Congrats on the F-100!

Ken

I agree with Ken that the finish color is Natural Gloss. The additional photos which John posted shows it better.

Yes, all three of mine sound slightly different. Here is the story on them.

The Candy Apple Red is from October of 1980. I am the fourth owner. I live in Iowa and drove to Ohio to get that one along with a mint SC-3 that I won on EBay. Gabe was the second owner and entered it in the registry as having a maple body. I've never had the neck off to check for myself, but if it is maple instead of poplar, it would be quite rare. Gabe knows G&L's, so I'm trusting his judgement. It does have a few nicks in the finish that show when photographed closer. There is no crazing marks in the nitro finish, however. It has been well cared for and must not have been exposed to temperature changes. Hence my reason for driving 8 hours each way and not trusting UPS with it in January.

The green one has a body date of 1981 and neck date of February of 1983. Repair was written in the neck pocket of the body, so the neck may have been replaced under warranty or the body refinished to sell as a 1983. It has the hex adjustments in the pickups instead of the slots, which I've only seen on the later F-100's. It has the bi-cut neck and G&L branded Schaller tuners. I bought it on EBay from a seller in Florida. It had been sitting in the case so long that the nitro finish on the back of the neck reacted with the case where it was cradled. I was able to have a local luthier buff it out and not have to spray any touch up. There are a few touch ups in the finish, but the chrome is immaculate.

The clear blue was sold to me as a 1983. It has the most flaws of the three, but still in great shape. There are some more noticeable dings, couple areas with crazing marks, and a little bit of oxidatation to the hardware, particularly where the tremelo arm pops in. Yes, I have the original tremelo arm (not Gabe's close reproduction), warranty card, and case with keys. It has the same case as my Cavalier from 1983. Being a later production F-100, it has the black control plate on the front. It also has the hex adjustments in the pickups and bi-cut neck with updated G&L branded tuners. The serial number is on the neck plate instead of the bridge. The blue one has the best overall sound of the three, in my opinion. I found it a few years ago on EBay with a very reasonable buy it now price. It was probably only listed for about 30 minutes when I saw it and fell in love with it and bought it.

Chip

Interesting stories, Chip! Thx for sharing. They sure are nice specimens.
FYI, I lived out your way in Des Moines, '82-'84. No ocean air, but extreme temps in summer and winter, and of course, the odd tornado in the late spring!

Here are the pics the seller sent me. I'll take some of my own this week. The finish has some reds and browns in it, depends on the light in the room.

It's Natural Gloss. That's how it looked over the mahogany they used in the early '80s. Congrats on the F-100!

Ken

Thx Ken! Interesting. I can see how that would work.
Seller called it cherry red, and in his pic's, i can see why.
Here, though, in brighter light, it's more of a light brown. Beautiful tight mahogany grain. You're right, the wood in the pocket is relatively dark.

Here are the pics the seller sent me. I'll take some of my own this week. The finish has some reds and browns in it, depends on the light in the room.

It's Natural Gloss. That's how it looked over the mahogany they used in the early '80s. Congrats on the F-100!

Ken

I agree with Ken that the finish color is Natural Gloss. The additional photos which John posted shows it better.

Thx, Craig. I'll bet the caramel color (which looks pretty close on that ASAT HB) was only available on more recent model G&L's.

Here, though, in brighter light, it's more of a light brown.

Like Root Beer?

Here's one that I had for a while:

wooh, that was pretty nice, close relative of mine!

here are a few deck shots with the assistance of the sun

Yep, Natural Gloss. And I think that might be a rosewood fretboard, which would be pretty unusual (but not impossible) for that early of a G&L.

Ken

Yep, Natural Gloss. And I think that might be a rosewood fretboard, which would be pretty unusual (but not impossible) for that early of a G&L.

Ken

rosewood it is. i wouldn't have minded ebony. had an ovation with an ebony board once, sure was nice.

Yep, Natural Gloss. And I think that might be a rosewood fretboard, which would be pretty unusual (but not impossible) for that early of a G&L.

Ken

rosewood it is. i wouldn't have minded ebony. had an ovation with an ebony board once, sure was nice.

Hold on there! G&L never stained the ebony so sometimes it is easily mistaken for rosewood. And with the streaks running through it, it looks like ebony to me. Compare the ebony board on my ASAT Junior.

- Jos

Hold on there! G&L never stained the ebony so sometimes it is easily mistaken for rosewood. And with the streaks running through it, it looks like ebony to me. Compare the ebony board on my ASAT Junior.

- Jos

Take a look at the seller's pics. There are strong dark lines running along the grain that don't show in John's outdoor photos. A couple of my G&Ls with rosewood boards have that same grain, but none of my ebony boards do. The light/dark pattern is also a lot more consistent across the board than I've typically seen with early Leo-era ebony boards.

I think we need more photos to confirm ths!

Ken

Hold on there! G&L never stained the ebony so sometimes it is easily mistaken for rosewood. And with the streaks running through it, it looks like ebony to me. Compare the ebony board on my ASAT Junior.

- Jos

Take a look at the seller's pics. There are strong dark lines running along the grain that don't show in John's outdoor photos. A couple of my G&Ls with rosewood boards have that same grain, but none of my ebony boards do. The light/dark pattern is also a lot more consistent across the board than I've typically seen with early Leo-era ebony boards.

I think we need more photos to confirm ths!

Ken

interesting! didn't know ebony could be stripy. i'll do some closeups indoors of the fret board.

i see what u mean on the asat junior, some swirls, rather than stripes

Fantastic guitars all around.

y2kc

...interesting! didn't know ebony could be stripy. i'll do some closeups indoors of the fret board.

Yes ,we need to start a striped ebony porn thread. It would be cool to compare different boards
as the years went by.

The ribbon figuring and redness does suggest rosewood to me. A macro shot might be cool.

My guess would be ebony.

y2kc

Sweet F'er. That mahogany is great and the clear gloss has aged into a nice dark color. It does resemble my SG too.
I vote for Ebony on the board too.

Here's a pic of some cool Ebony.



Tom

For comparison, here's an SC-3 on ebay
that has what I'd bet is a rosewood fretboard.Here's a couple pics from that auction: